A steel rail is a continuous steel beam that transfers wheel loads to sleepers and subgrade while providing precise guidance for wheels, minimizing wear, vibration, and risk of derailment. Its quality and profile determine service life under repeated cyclic loads. GNEE RAIL supplies the full range of international rail standards, including GB light and heavy rails, UIC50–UIC60, DIN536 A55–A120, QU70–QU120, JIS 15KG–CR100, AS1085 31–89 kg, BS11:1985, and AREMA/ASCE 25–175 lb, along with surface treatment, rail straightening, and project-specific consultation.
What are the requirements of rail in a railway track?
Rails are the core load-bearing element of any railway track, so their design and material must meet stringent mechanical, geometrical, and operational requirements to ensure safety, reliability, and long-term performance. These requirements can be grouped into several categories:
1. Mechanical Requirements:
Rails must carry high vertical loads from train wheels, lateral forces in curves, and dynamic impact from wheel flats or braking. The steel used must provide:
- High strength and hardness at the rail head to resist wear and rolling contact fatigue.
- Toughness in the web and foot to prevent brittle fracture under impact or residual stress.
- Fatigue resistance to withstand millions of load cycles over the rail's service life.
- Typical rail steels, such as U71Mn, U75V, R260, R350HT, and 900A, meet these criteria and are often heat-treated or head-hardened for enhanced durability.
| Grade | Standard / Region | Typical Composition (wt%) |
| R260 | EN 13674-1 (Europe) | C: 0.67–0.80, Mn: 0.90–1.20, Si: ≤0.50 |
| R350HT | EN 13674-1 (Europe) | C: 0.75–0.85, Mn: 0.80–1.20, Cr: 0.20–0.50 |
| Grade 260 | AREMA (North America) | C: ~0.77, Mn: ~1.0–1.2, Si: ~0.2 |
| Grade 350 | AREMA + Mill Specs (USA/Canada) | C: 0.78–0.83, Mn: 0.90–1.20, Cr: 0.2–0.6, + V/Nb (microalloyed) |
| BH Rail (Bainitic) | JIS E 1101 (Japan), adopted in EU/India | C: 0.65–0.80, Mn: 1.0–1.4, Cr/Mo/Ni (optional, mill-specific) |
| U71Mn | GB/T 2585 (China) | C: 0.65–0.77, Mn: 1.10–1.40, Si: 0.15–0.35 |
| U75V | GB/T 2585 (China) | C: 0.67–0.77, Mn: 0.70–1.00, V: 0.04–0.12 |
2. Geometrical Requirements:
Rails must have precise cross-sectional dimensions and tolerances to maintain proper gauge and wheel-rail contact. This ensures:
- Accurate track gauge and alignment.
- Uniform load distribution through sleepers, fastenings, and ballast.
- Compatibility with switches, crossings, and fastening systems.
- International standards such as UIC, EN, AREMA/ASCE, DIN 536, BS, JIS, and AS define rail profiles, head width, height, base width, and curvature tolerances.
| Standard | Sepc. | Material Typical Grade |
| UIC860 | UIC54 | 700,900A,900B |
| UIC60 | ||
| EN13674.1 | 5.00E+02 | R200,R350HT,R260Mn,R35LHT,R320Cr,R370CrHT |
| 5.40E+02 | ||
| 6.00E+02 | ||
| 6.00E+03 | ||
| BS-11-1985 | BS80A | 700,900A,900B |
| BS90A | ||
| BS100A | ||
| AREMA | 115RE | SS,HH,LA,IH |
| 136RE | ||
| ASCE60 | U71Mn | |
| ASCE85 | U71Mn | |
| GB 2585-2007 | 50kg/m | U71Mn |
| 60kg/m | U75V | |
| 75kg/m | ||
| TB/T2344-2012 | 50kg/m | U71Mn,U75V,U77MnCr |
| 60kg/m | U78CrV | |
| 75kg/m | ||
| GB 11264-1989 | 8kg/m | Q235 |
| 12kg/m | Q235 | |
| 15kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 18kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 22kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 24kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 30kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 38kg/m | 50Mn, U71Mn | |
| 43kg/m | 50Mn, U71Mn | |
| GB Crane rails | QU70 | U71Mn |
| QU80 | U71Mn | |
| QU100 | U71Mn | |
| QU120 | U71Mn |
3. Surface and Wear Requirements:
Rail surfaces must resist abrasion, indentation, and rolling contact fatigue. This requires:
- Hard and smooth running surfaces.
- Resistance to head checks and corrugation.
- Minimal plastic deformation under high wheel pressure.
- Rails may be head-hardened or alloyed to improve wear resistance, particularly for high-speed lines, heavy freight corridors, or crane runways.
4. Environmental and Corrosion Resistance:
Rails are exposed to varying temperatures, moisture, and potentially corrosive environments. Therefore, rails must:
- Maintain mechanical properties under cold, heat, or thermal cycling.
- Resist oxidation and surface corrosion, sometimes aided by coatings or treatments in coastal or industrial areas.
5. Compatibility and Maintainability:
Rails must be compatible with track components such as sleepers, clips, pads, and baseplates. They must also allow:
- Welding, drilling, and grinding during installation and maintenance.
- Long service intervals and predictable replacement schedules.
Since 2008, GNEE RAIL has been supplying steel rails of different grades for more than 18 years, steel rails from GNEE is highly recommened in China and abroad.Wtih cutting edge equipment, GNEE produces high quality steel rails that meet with requirements of most countries. Standard rail, head hardened rail, heavy rail,light rail,crane rail and other types are all available here, as one of the China main rail supplier, GNEE RAIL has been working on supplying economical green railway products all over the world.